Marine biology is the study of organisms in the ocean, which covers anything from sea turtles and whales, to microscopic phytoplankton and shellfish. It’s a popular field, especially in the study of the larger animals like whales, dolphins, and sharks. With so much interest in the ocean and the organisms and animals that live within it, there are many jobs, careers, degrees, and even summer camps that revolve around this interesting scientific field. For many children and teens, marine biology is one of their favorite things to learn about, but unfortunately, most schools don’t provide a lot of schooling about this field. So, rather than learning about this field in a school room, they venture out to the ocean to learn about the creatures in their home. One of the best opportunities for this type of learning is through marine biology summer camps. But, you may wonder what a marine biology summer camp involves. Here’s some information about what your student would be doing at a marine biology summer camp. What We Do One of the first things your camper will do at a marine biology camp is travel to somewhere like Hawaii, Maine, Costa Rica, or other areas full of marine life. For most of the time at the camp, your student will be studying these marine biology animals, so they will spend a lot of time on boats, snorkeling, and hiking to areas that exhibit marine animals. Some camps offer the ability to visit a marine animal park, like the Sea Life Park in Hawaii, and volunteer helping the animals while others research the animals, track their whereabouts, or even swim next to them and observe their habits. For Whale Camp, at the Fundy Marine Science Institute, they focus on observing, identifying, and researching the physiology and behaviors of certain marine mammal and avian species of Grand Manan and the Bay of Fundy. Though a lot of the camps focus on showing campers what marine biologists do, they also make sure that the campers have a lot of fun. Most include lots of activities like hikes, kayaking, exploring the area around, luaus, snorkeling, surfing, and more. Depending on the area that you choose for your summer camp, you’ll have different fun activities, and even different types of marine animals, so you’ll want to choose an area that interests you the most. What Are the Benefits? There are many different benefits of attending a marine biology summer camp, especially for younger campers. For one, campers learn a lot about marine biology and really learn what they like about marine biology, whether it be the interaction with the animals, the research, or interacting with the other campers. This way, they can learn a little more about what they like which can help them decide on a future career. Next, campers learn to interact with new friends and acquaintances and learn a little more on how to make friends. This is a great skill to learn, especially as a young student. And lastly, campers learn how to be independent. Most young students haven’t had the opportunity to experience life without parents, siblings, or familiar friends and family members, so when they leave for a camp (especially if it is a longer camp) they have the opportunity to live on their own, take care of themselves, and learn more about what they like and don’t like apart from what’s familiar to them. Marine biology summer camps are a great opportunity for young students to learn about the beautiful marine life that lives in the oceans that take up the majority of our world. With so much to learn, these students can begin a lifetime of fascination with marine biology thanks to a wonderful summer camp experience.
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